Sonic Battle 2
by The Luminoth
Summary: The sequel to Sonic Battle (GBA). Eggman brought back Metal Sonic (again), and he's out to get Chaos Emeralds! Completed. Please R
1. Prologue

Sonic Battle 2

Prologue: Reunion

It has been a few months since Emerl was destroyed by a deadly malfunction. Since then, the Estuary in Holy Summit has returned to normal, and Chaos has returned to the Master Emerald. E-102 "Gamma" was dismantled by Eggman once again to fuel his latest fiendish scheme, which yet remains unknown. The whole crew is currently at Sonic's house holding a Mario Kart party. Little did they know that they were to have two unexpected visitors...

Espio appears "Hmm, I'm bored. Let's think...I haven't seen Knuckles in a while. Maybe I should visit him."

As Espio left to visit Knuckles, he ran into Mighty, another friend of Knuckles'.

"Hey Espio, where are you going?"

"I'm going to visit Knuckles. You want to come along?"

"Yeah, sure."

And so they set off for Knuckles' house in Holy Summit.

When the two travelers reached Knuckles' house, they found not Knuckles, but a letter hanging of the door.

_If you are looking for Knuckles, I am at Sonic's house, and I've taken the Master Emerald with me, so if you wanted to steal it, too bad. If you need to see me, Sonic's house is in Emerald Town._

_Knuckles _

Reading this, Mighty concluded, "Let's head to Sonic's house in Emerald City!"

"Thanks for stating the obvious," Espio slyly remarked.

And so they set off for Sonic's house in Emerald Town.

After some walking, they reached Emerald Town, and Espio knocked on Sonic's door. Sonic opened the door.

"Hey Espio, what's up?"

"Not much, that's why I came here. Is Knuckles here?"

"Yeah, I'll call him out."

Sonic then turned around and called for Knuckles, then asked Espio and Mighty to sit down. Upon entering, the two bored heroes found that nearly everyone was at Sonic's house. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, and even Shadow and Rouge were there. And the centerpiece of the hangout was a pair of Gamecubes, connected by LAN cables, with four controllers in one and three in the other. When Knuckles came out, he further welcomed Espio and Mighty.

"Hey guys, what's up?"

"Not much. How about you?"

"I was just about to play Mario Kart. Either of you want to play?"

Both of them simultaneously said, "Yeah, sure!"

"How can both of you play? This is only an eight-player game!"

"Then we'll fight it out!"

Tails cleared out most of the obstacles in the main room, leaving Espio and Mighty with lots of empty space. But Tails left the coffee table so that he wouldn't tip it over and spill the chips.

Both combatants started the fight by charging each other. Espio made a sudden stop and threw a shuriken star at Mighty, but a mere raise of the armadillo's wrist blocked the shot. Then Mighty countered with a punch to the back of Espio's head. The move was blocked. Then Espio jumped and launched something small out of his wrist, but before Mighty could tell what it was, it turned invisible and latched onto the ground. Mighty had an ides where it landed, so he avoided the spot. Then he fired another punch at Espio, and this one connected, sending Espio flying across the room. Mighty ran over to continue the attack, but he forgot about Espio's cloak bomb and stepped on it.

Now both fighters were even. Espio countered the punch from before with a kick, which sent Mighty into the wall. He was able to bounce off the wall, but was then stuck. He seemed to freeze in midair as Espio came to finish the job. He had to think of something, and fast. Then he remembered a move to use. He spread out his hair, stuck out his arms like a superhero, and flew out of the way just as Espio struck with an upward chop. _Gliding_, Mighty thought, _one of the most useful tricks Knuckles taught me._ Espio growled with frustration, and he was still ahead, so Mighty still had to think on his feet. But as he realized this, Espio was already off his. He jumped into the air and became invisible! Mighty did the only thing that made sense to him—he hid under the coffee table. Just as he hid, another shuriken star struck the table directly above him.

Espio then stopped in front of the table and became visible again. Then he threatened. "If you don't come out from under this table in five seconds, I'll break it in half with my bare hand!" Mighty had to think again! "Five." _That's gonna hurt!_ "Four." _What should I do?_ "Three." _Oh, come on, think!_ "Two." _I've got it!_ "One." Just as Espio said that, he was met by the table as Mighty tipped it into Espio, crushing him. They were even again, and potato chips were spilled all over the floor.

Now the two fighters faced each other from opposite sides of the room. They knew that the next hit would seal the match. They stared each other down with such a serious stare that it would have been unholy to break the silence. Just then, Tails announced a new, pointless rule: "Loser cleans up the chips!" At that, both fighters lunged at each other. The fighting that followed was rivaled only by the average fight on Dragon Ball Z. Fists and feet flew at high speeds and amazing accuracy, only to be met with equal blocks. But Espio missed one punch. Mighty wasn't expecting it, and the punch hit him just enough to throw him off balance. Then Espio saw the opening and threw one final shuriken star. Mighty was down, and Espio was sitting down playing Gamecube as Mighty vacuumed the yellow, potatoey mess on the floor.

After the party, Amy went home. But when she opened the door into her now-dark apartment, she was met by glowing blue eyes and a single statement.

"Hey mom, I'm home!"

END PROLOGUE

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So, how do you like it? Tell me if I should continue. I'm assuming that if you've played Sonic Battle, you should know exactly who Amy's "visitor" was.


	2. The Return of an Old Friend

Disclaimer (like usual, I forgot it in the prologue): Everyone knows how this goes. I don't own any characters here except those I happen to make up. But I do own Emerl's color scheme in the story. Use Chaos Color 1 and Shadow Color 2 to get that scheme.

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 1: The Return of an Old Friend

Amy stared, frozen with horror, at the eerie pair of glowing blue eyes facing her. She said nothing. Then the mysterious figure spoke up again.

"Did you miss me, Mom? Mom?"

Finally able to move, Amy clicked on the lights in her apartment. Facing her was...Emerl? This didn't make any sense! Emerl was long gone; she had seen it with her own eyes! And not only her, but all of her friends, too! Everyone saw Emerl go out of control and overload! Amy finally spoke.

"Emerl, is that you?"

Then she noticed that Emerl wasn't his normal yellow-orange colors, he was white with a blue horn. Was this an impostor? Was this a crazy dream? The robot responded.

"I am Emerl."

At that, Amy was in shock. Who would bother to build a new Emerl, because apparently someone did? Who would know how? Only one answer came to Amy's mind.

"You must be one of Eggman's robots! None of my friends, not even Tails, know how to build a new Emerl!"

"I have never heard of an 'Eggman'."

"You what? I guess there's only one way to figure you out. I'll have to bring you to Tails!"

And so she did.

Even at the insane hour of the night, nearly midnight, Tails still brought Emerl to Tails' lab. When Tails saw Emerl, he was overcome by its sight.

"Emerl? Is that you? How did you survive?"

"I am Emerl. The data you requested is unknown."

"Say what?"

"I can't tell you.

"Hmm...sounds suspicious. I should call everyone over for help with this one."

And so he did.

Sonic, Knuckles, Cream, Rouge, and Shadow came over to help, even though it was late, and after all that partying, they needed their sleep.

"Okay, guys, thanks for coming! Now first, to start scanning Emerl for any trace of Eggman engineering (Egg-gineering?), we'll need to move that heavy scanner over there. It's not often that I scan Eggman's robots, so the scanner hasn't been updated lately. Sorry..."

Well, all seven of them heaved and pushed and pulled at the machine, and it only budged one inch. Well, if you want to be picky, 1.295049347583658 inches. Then, Knuckles made a suggestion.

"Why don't we call Espio and Mighty over? They should be able to help."

And so he did.

Espio and Mighty showed up, slightly ticked off, and agreed to help on one condition.

"If you can beat us, we'll help."

"Okay! Sonic and I vs. you and Mighty!"

Sonic protested. "Why me?"

"Because you're the first guy I thought of."

"And why do we have to fight?"

"I thought this was supposed to be a fighting game!"

"What?"

"Oh, never mind, just fight, darn it!"

And so the fight began, every fighter secretly hoping under their breath that they wouldn't fall asleep and get the snot kicked out of them before waking up in the hospital.

Sonic led off the battle with a ring-dash—he tossed a ring into the air and convinced himself to follow it at high speeds. Espio took damage, but Mighty was unharmed. While Mighty was blocking Sonic, Knuckles closed in with a swift punch. Sonic and Knuckles were up. Then Espio retaliated with a shuriken star, which struck Sonic squarely in the forehead, but strangely did no damage apart from a tiny scratch. Still, it was a particularly painful scratch. Then Mighty rolled into a ball and rammed Knuckles a few times throwing him off guard so that Espio could toss another star. Now they were even.

But not for long. Knuckles burrowed underground and came up under Mighty, eliminating him. As Sonic watched Knuckles, Espio set some cloak bombs. When Sonic took a step forward to finish Espio, he instead was finished. Two fighters left.

Now Espio and Knuckles faced each other in a serious stare, which was followed by them...falling asleep? When they wake up, who will win? Will the origin of the new Emerl ever be discovered? Will the heroes stay awake long enough to find out? And what's Eggman up to now? Find out in chapter 2 of...

Sonic Battle 2!

**END CHAPTER ONE**

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So how do you like it? Tell me if I should continue! And if you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me! See ya next time! And as for the long number, I just randomly typed it. 


	3. The New Quest

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 2: The New Quest—To Find the Chaos Emeralds (what else is new?)

Shortly after Knuckles and Espio passed out, the other heroes also dozed off (except Emerl). By the time they were awake the following morning, Knuckles and Espio were still fast asleep. But somehow that didn't matter now. Besides, no one remembered what it was they were fighting over anyway. But after the restful night, Tails made a proposition.

"Okay, now that everyone's awake, except those two, we should have enough force to move the scanner to Emerl!"

At that, everyone who was awake, except Emerl because he didn't know what was happening, pushed the scanner until it was around Emerl. The scanner was U-shaped, so it fit around Emerl well. Then Tails began the scan.

The scan picked up some results, but when Tails tried to access them, he was prompted to enter a password.

"Let me take this," Shadow requested. "I have an idea what the password may be." He then typed in five letters. M-A-R-I-A. "That should be the password, if this is truly related to Eggman or his grandfather."

The computer screen flashed, "ACCEPTED". Then it made another prompt: "INTRODUCE SEVEN CHAOS EMERALDS".

"Ah...that's going to be a tough one. Shadow, you have that one, right?"

"Yes."

"Does anyone else have any?"

"No."

"No."

"Search me."

"Nope."

"No."

"Rats. Well, we need to find them to unlock the data. But who would have them now?"

Just then, as if on cue, Eggman appeared on the screen.

"Haha! I thought I'd inform you all that of your days are numbered! I have behind me seven inventions that will cause your utter demise. First (through sixth) is my new six-member Sigma team. I have made certain improvements on my Phi series, and now each of these robots is powered by a whole Chaos Emerald! That's right, I have six of them! And I also have this!"

Then a new metal monstrosity appeared on the monitor. It was a short blue robot, about Sonic's height, with thick arms, spiked shoulder and knee panels, long blades extending from its wrists, jets on his back, and long, spiky "hair" extending from the back of its head.

"I'd like to introduce you to Metal Sonic 3.0! And when I get the seventh Chaos Emerald, he will become _invincible_! Hahahahaha! Farewell, Sonic, and all of your pathetic friends!"

"That's not good! If Eggman gets the last Chaos Emerald from us, we're dead!" Sonic stated.

But then Amy returned to talking about Emerl. "I think that we already know a lot about this Emerl."

"What do you mean?" Tails replied.

"Well, when I met him he called me 'Mom'."

Then everyone looked puzzled, except for Sonic. He knew exactly what Amy was talking about, and if you listened closely enough, you could almost hear him say, "Oh, brother" under his breath.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Emerl always used to call me that."

"Why?"

Then Sonic spoke before Amy could react. "It's a long story."

"Anyway, that means that at least some of the Emerl we know is inside this new one. Emerl, do you know who we are?"

"Heck yeah! You're Tails, you're Sonic, you're Mom, you're Rouge, you're Shadow, you're Cream, and that's Knuckles asleep over there. But I don't know who's next to him. And I don't know who that other red guy is."

Amy chimed in. "Could you call me Amy from now on?"

"Yes, Mom."

Amy growled.

"Anyway, that means that if Eggman did build you, he must have maintained the memory of the old Emerl!"

"Who's Eggman?"

"He's that guy that was on the computer screen before."

"Oh."

"Anyway, we'd better wake up those two," Tails pointed to Knuckles and Espio, "and fill them in so we can start searching for those Sigma robots!"

Then Knuckles and Espio woke up suddenly.

"Oh jeez..." Sonic trailed off.

So, will Eggman be stopped? Will Emerl's complete origin ever be discovered? Will Knuckles and Espio ever catch on? Find out in chapter 3 of...

Sonic Battle 2!

So how am I doing? Don't be afraid to review. Any questions, comments, complaints, or suggestions can and will be addressed, but only if you review!


	4. The Fall of Shadow

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 3: The Fall of Shadow

Author's note: This chapter will probably get more serious than the others. Also, I'm using what I think is a new concept: each Chaos Emerald corresponds to a different element/force of nature/type of weapon. Just warning ya.

Since Knuckles and Espio are now awake, they can be told what just happened. But since we just got through all this at the end of the last chapter and recaps have proven to be not a good idea, I'll just skip to _after_ Knuckles and Espio have been filled in on the situation.

"And that's why we have to track down these Sigma robots and get the Chaos Emeralds," Tails concluded.

"Oh...I see."

"Now all we need is a plan."

"Ok...how about we split up into six teams?"

"But we need someone to watch the lab in case Eggman comes!"

"Seven teams?"

"Yeah, divide seven into nine..."

And the argument went on for a while like this. But let's skip it; I really want to get to the action. So the teams(?) are...

Sonic and Tails

Knuckles

Amy and Cream

Mighty

Rouge

Espio

Shadow (to watch the lab—still has a Chaos Emerald)

So the teams each grabbed a 2-way radio and split.

Shadow had been watching the lab for the past few hours. Nothing had happened yet, and Shadow hoped nothing would happen, because he was getting tired. But he didn't know how dire the situation was...

Eggman hovered just outside the lab in his flying machine, with his robot henchmen Decoe and Bocoe (yay, Sonic X crossover!) following him. He was also followed by his new retooling of an old invention, Metal Sonic 3.0. He had just realized the situation.

"If the Chaos Emerald readings are correct, then the last Chaos Emerald is in Tails' lab. That means someone is probably guarding it...Metal Sonic, upload Knuckles' battle strategies. He's probably protecting it."

Eggman entered the lab (after Metal Sonic shot the door open) when he saw the true Emerald guard. He was surprised that it wasn't Knuckles, but even more surprised that it was...

"Shadow?"

"Yes. But if you want this, and I assume you do, you can't have it," Shadow said as he held the Chaos Emerald above his head.

"Well I'll just have to take it then. Metal Sonic, come here!"

"Yes, doctor?"

"Do you see the Chaos Emerald that our 'friend' is holding? I believe you know what to do about it."

"Yes, doctor."

Metal Sonic extended the spikes on his shoulders and dashed at Shadow. Shadow was ready...or so he thought.

"Chaos Con—AHHHH..."

Shadow screamed in pain as he was lanced in the chest by Metal Sonic's shoulder spike. The blow also knocked the Chaos Emerald askew across the floor, just out of Shadow's reach. He was reaching for it when Metal Sonic crushed Shadow's hand under his foot. Then Eggman flew lower and picked it up.

"Metal Sonic, you know what this means."

Then a hatch on Metal Sonic's blue chest opened up, revealing the familiar black circle. A glass cover opened on that, and the green Chaos Emerald was sucked into Metal Sonic's body. Then a green light on the yellow border around the black circle lit up. The glass cover closed, followed by the blue metal one.

"Now, Metal Sonic, finish him off!"

Metal Sonic removed his right hand to reveal a large cannon (almost like Android 16 on Dragon Ball Z) and a green glow issued forth from the front. Then Shadow was stricken with fear as a large green beam of energy raced toward him.

The shot found its mark, and Shadow was left in a collapsed pile on the lab floor.

"Hahaha! Until we meet again, Shadow! That is, if I see you again!"

Eggman continued to laugh maniacally as he flew away. A few minutes passed, then a few hours, and it wasn't until evening until someone returned...

While Shadow was fighting at the lab, Sonic and Tails were having an odyssey of their own. They had been searching for hours, and the Sigma robots just didn't want to show up. The two heroes were searching through the familiar territory of the Green Hill Zone, and had found nothing. Then they saw a blue flash from the distance, and one of the trees froze over near them. Then a black robot landed in front of them. It looked like Emerl, except that it was larger and had a frozen handgun in its right hand. It fired a shot at Sonic's feet. Sonic jumped over it and watched as the grass he'd just leapt from formed frost as it was struck by the shot. Then Tails made a useful observation, seeing something in the robot's chest.

"Sonic, he has the light blue Chaos Emerald!"

"This must be a Sigma robot! I think I see a loose wire just behind the blade on his head!"

"Got it!"

Tails pulled out a wire cutter and charged at the robot, but was frozen by a stray shot. When he un-froze, Sonic added, "I'll hold him off!"

Sonic landed (WOW that was a long jump) and started running back and forth. The Sigma robot couldn't keep up and missed every time. While he was occupied with shooting Sonic, Tails crept up behind him and clipped the loose wire. The robot froze in place.

"Tails, grab the Chaos Emerald! Then we'll head for the lab before he wakes up!"

Tails got the Emerald and flew back to the lab, carrying Sonic. When they walked in, they were surprised to see Shadow lying on the floor, badly injured...

So how'd you like it? Don't forget to review! Seriously, I need some motivation here!


	5. Actual Progress

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 4: Actual Progress

Author's Note: Still some serious stuff. And I'm only skipping recaps/explanations when they've already been explained at one point or another. That goes for the other chapters and for future chapters. And I'm not making any plotholes that will not be explained by the end of the story.

Sonic and Tails, startled by the sight of Shadow in an unconscious heap on the floor, ran over to his spot and tried to wake him up. They shook him, splashed him with water, and even hit him a couple times. Nothing was working. Then Sonic pulled out the Chaos Emerald, and, at length, Shadow arose, still very uncoordinated from his beating.

"Shadow, what did this to you?"

"It was Eggman. He came with his new Metal Sonic. Then..."

"Then what?"

"Then it attacked me."

"Why didn't you avoid it?"

"I tried, but it was too fast."

"Even for Chaos Control?"

"I couldn't use it."

"Why?"

"He hit me before I could even finish saying the words."

"And what of your Chaos Emerald?"

"He took it—Eggman—and gave it to Metal Sonic."

"No!"

"I'm...sorry..." Shadow finished before collapsing again.

"Want me to call the others?" Tails suggested.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea," Sonic answered.

Tails called Knuckles first, then Amy, then Rouge, and then the others. They all returned. One of them had a gift...

Knuckles decided that he should search Angel Island for Eggman's robots because he knew the landscape better than anyone else, and also because Eggman would also, doubtlessly, want the Master Emerald. Of course, Knuckles was carrying it with him now, but Eggman didn't know that. So Knuckles figured that a search and a visit home couldn't hurt.

Knuckles was walking through the thick, jungle-like forests that bordered the island when he felt a strange heat. This wasn't the warming heat of the sun, this was a more destructive heat. Knuckles ran toward the source and found a black robot that looked similar to Emerl but slightly larger and with a flamethrower in its right hand and the red Chaos Emerald in a compartment in its chest. It was in the middle of torching a palm tree and making it like its charred companions when Knuckles landed a hit to the back of its head. It was severely damaged, but it was now at attention and would prove dangerous. Knuckles tried to hit it again, but his fist was met by a circular shield of flame. Knuckles was puzzled, but then remembered that in some of the more ancient of the echidnas' stone tablets, the Emeralds were said to each be of a different element. Blue was of water, light blue of ice, yellow of lightning, white of wind, red of fire, purple of defensive ability, and green of power. Eggman must have figured that out and equipped his robots to use these powers.

This robot had the red Emerald, so it had the power of fire and was using it to power its gun. Knuckles had to stop the flame, so he tried to strike again, and was met by the same shield. Knuckles was at a loss. He couldn't penetrate the shield, and the Master Emerald only worked if all seven Emeralds were present. Then he remembered his first hit. He'd hit the robot from the back and the robot had been unable to defend. He had to hit the back of its head! But how to get there? Knuckles had an idea.

A few minutes later, Knuckles had set a trap. He waited in a tree and, across a pair of trees opposite him, he'd tied a vine back with a coconut tied to it. The vine was held back like a rubber band by a long tree trunk, which was tied to another vine in Knuckles' hand. As soon as Knuckles released the vine from his hand, the coconut would fly. Finally, he called the robot over. The robot dashed over, and Knuckles let his trap fly. The robot blocked the coconut, but as it did, Knuckles dropped down behind it. As soon as the shield dissipated, Knuckles landed the finishing blow, then grabbed the Emerald and headed back to Tails' lab, the current base of operations. Then he got a distressed radio call from Tails, requesting that he make it back on the double.

"I'll get there as fast as I can!"

When Knuckles reached the lab, he showed Sonic his Chaos Emerald.

"Good job Knuckles! But we've got other problems."

"Yeah, I know, Eggman's figured out that the Chaos Emeralds have elemental powers."

"They do?"

"I'll explain later. But what's the problem if not that?"

"Shadow's out cold, and we don't know if he'll recover."

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Will Shadow die? That, my friends, is up to you, so please remember to review! I know it's a little sson to update, but I was on a roll. 


	6. Emerald Nature

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 5: The Nature of the Emeralds

Author's Note: WHOHOO! Extra-long chapter! (And not just because of the poem) Also, I've come to a decision about Shadow's fate, but did you actually think I would tell you and ruin the suspense? HA! Fool...

Everyone was at the lab and as worried as I hope all of you are about whether or not Shadow will come out of his coma. Then Sonic spoke up.

"Knuckles, what was it that you were saying before about the Chaos Emeralds and elements?"

This was met by many a blank and confused stare.

"Yes," Knuckles started, as if to indicate a long-winded explanation, "each Chaos Emerald has its own elemental assignment. I came to learn of these properties when I was very young and just learning of the echidna tribe's history. On the most deeply hidden of the stone writings in our hidden palace (Sonic & Knuckles, anyone?) was a long writing about the Chaos Emeralds and their powers. This is only a part of it...

Green, the first, is fused with power

Against its holder all will cower

Yellow, the next, will give a shock

To anyone who has rotten luck

Purple, the third, will grant defense

From this day forth and ever hence

The bearer of Blue can command

All that is not air or land

Red, of fire, will bring a blaze

To all who can conquer its haze

White, the sixth, controls the breeze

And all who take to the air, it frees

Sky, the last, will bring forth ice

You should find its power would suffice

Combine all seven and you'll have at hand

Enough power to rule over all the land

But if you do, think ever faster

For you can be humbled by he who controls the Master."

"Where did that come from?" Sonic asked in shock.

"It was one of the many scriptures I had to memorize to fulfill the last line and keep Angel Island at peace. He who controls the Master..."

"So that's you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that would explain a lot...Tails, the robot we fought had an ice gun, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"We got the light blue Emerald from it."

Sonic then looked at Knuckles and asked, "So does that mean that we can use the power of ice now?"

"Not quite. The passage I read speaks of both the Emeralds' individual power and their combined power, but using the true power of the Emeralds requires years of practice and knowledge of the other ancient writings."

"But I can use their _combined_ power. I can turn into Super Sonic!"

"Wait...you're right! Sonic, hold the Emerald at arm's length and focus all of your energy at it."

Sonic did, and a brilliant beam of blue light issued forth. The wall it hit was encased in solid, frigid ice.

"But this doesn't make any sense, unless...there was another part of that writing, and it contained a prediction for the future. It was illustrated later on, and some of the illustrations are in plain view in the part of the Palace we fought in. Remember?"

"No. Refresh my memory?"

"The paintings clearly depict a human stealing the Master Emerald, but opposite him is a gold figure that looks like a hedgehog. I would not have understood at all back when I learned of these predictions because we believed that both humans and hedgehogs were inferior, but then I saw a gold flash in the sky as the Death Egg exploded. Then I saw you fight Chaos, and now it's obvious—the prediction was of Eggman trying to take away the Master Emerald and you, Sonic, stopping him! You are the one predicted! You are the only being from outside the echidna clan to know how to harness the Emeralds' power without years of work!"

Tails interjected, "But I could use their power too!"

"Yes, but you required the Super Emeralds, remember? The predictions tell of an outsider who could use the Chaos Emeralds alone and conquer all who oppose him. That's Sonic!"

"Well I guess we should resume our search if we want the Emeralds' true power!" Sonic concluded.

Amy and Cream set out to search Station Square's Central City area, when she realized that she would be the next to get in a fight. They had just passed by Amy's apartment when they noticed a large, black robot with a startling similarity to Emerl. They also saw a purple Emerald in its chest. This was the third Sigma robot.

Amy knew exactly what she had to do, regardless of what Cream was planning. She pulled out her beloved Piko Piko Hammer (though not as beloved to her as Sonic) and gave the robot a firm smack across the face. As the mallet was about to make contact, a bright purple shield appeared around the robot and the whole of the hammer's force seemed to fly at Amy, sending her back into Cream and knocking the both of them to the ground. The robot closed in and prepared to make the final blow. Amy and Cream both huddled up to try to protect themselves, but it was too late. The robot threw a punch, and then...

Not a heck of a lot happened. The robot's purple Emerald gave it incredible defensive abilities, just like Knuckles' poem predicted, but the robot couldn't punch to break a water balloon! On the bright side, this gave Amy and Cream enough time to think of a way around the robot's defenses.

That's when a thought came to Amy. She remembered that when Sonic beat Chaos, it was shown the Chao it was _protecting_! If there is that deep a link between Chaos and the Chaos Emeralds, then the Emeralds' power probably could not be used against a Chao! Amy instructed Cream: "Cream, tell your Chao to attack the robot!"

"But why?"

"If I'm right, the robot won't be able to block a Chao!"

"Okay, if you say so...Cheese, attack!"

The tiny Chao formed an energy ball around it and flew full-speed at the robot. The robot tried to access its defensive maneuver, but the Chaos Emerald wouldn't activate. The robot was taken so aback by the force that it was knocked out cold. Amy pulled out the Chaos Emerald and headed back to the lab.

So, will Shadow still live (yeah, I'm not planning on saying anything)? Will Amy get back to the lab (Probably, that was a dumb question)? And where has Emerl been all this time (_muffled shouts_ Stuck in this scanner you moron!)? Find out next time (or at least some time in the future) in...

Sonic Battle 2!

* * *

How do you like my little poem? I came up it off the top of my head as I wrote, because I knew I had to introduce the Emerald-element system more formally. 


	7. Quest Worthy of a Spy

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 6: Quest Worthy of a Spy

Disclaimer: WOW I forgot this for a long time, but here it is, complete:

Sonic the Hedgehog and all related characters and logos are ™ and © SEGA/Sonic Team. As for the dates, let's just say "as of 1990." In fact, the only character-related things I own in here are the Sigma robots, Metal Sonic 3.0, and Emerl's color scheme, if you remember it from Chapter 1 (not counting prologue). I got it in the game by using Chaos Color 1 and Shadow Color 2.

Author's Note: Just looked over past chapters, and MAN does it seem hard to write without using inappropriate language and without sounding cheesy. But...must...keep...PG...rating...

Now it was officially night, and Amy and Cream headed back to the lab, but when they got there, they saw that the entire place was empty except for the unconscious form of Shadow, who hadn't changed since Sonic and Tails found him, and Emerl, still standing in the scanner. Amy set the third Chaos Emerald in the scanner. Since Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles had already found their respective Chaos Emeralds, they had probably gone out with other teams to help them. Cream pulled out their team's 2-way radio and contacted Rouge, one of the few to not yet find a Chaos Emerald. She had some big news...

Rouge stood at the edge of the Night Babylon region of Station Square, still preferring to work alone. As much as she enjoyed treasure hunting, there was no beating the nightlife. Neon lights flashed around every corner, and the whole place was brighter than it was even during the day. The white bat figured that she should start searching for the next robot at Club Rouge—after all, she knew the place better than anyone else, she owned it! And since there was a fairly large cache of rings there as well, she figured it would be a prime target for Eggman.

A thorough search of the club had rendered no assistance in finding the next robot, as Rouge decided to check the other nearby clubs. The first she came to had a huge bouncer waiting outside. But there was something odd about this bouncer...he was purple and appeared to be holding a fishing rod over his shoulder...

He spoke. "Hey, ma'am, where do you think you're going? I don't, uh, think you're on the, uh..."

"List?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Big? When did you get a job?"

"I've been working here for the past two weeks...hey, where are you?" Big looked back down, only to see that the space formerly occupied by a certain spy was now vacant.

_That was too easy,_ Rouge thought to herself as the slipped right in, undetected. Then again, whoever said Big was all that smart anyway? She flew up to the rafters and gave the entire place a quick scan. No robots in sight. Then again, the darkness of these places would be more than enough to blur any figure, so she tried it again, this time with her minute Treasure Scope over her eye. Still nothing suspicious was showing up. Then Rouge glanced just below her. There was a something small and black down there. It glanced upward, and as red, glowing optics met night-vision scope, the sound of running motors charging up could be heard if one listened closely. A second's pause, and then the robot was out the door, dashing down the street and into the next club. Apparently, a black robot was far less suspicious than a normal-looking bat.

Rouge made her way to the next club and found out why the Sigma robot had gotten in so easily—the guard at this club was another robot. This robot looked like E-102, except with a black-and-gray color and red eyes. Rouge tried to get in.

"Excuse me, I have an appointment."

"What is your name?"

Rouge couldn't use her own name. She had to think of another, and fast. She said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Amy. Amy Rose."

"That name is not on the list. Initialize battle sequence..."

The robot meant business now. Rouge was ready, though. Five years of training with the government couldn't go wrong.

The robot was quick to start. In fact, it was a bit too quick. He anticipated Rouge to charge at him, and set a bomb about five feet short or Rouge's actual location. She then countered by flying over the bomb and landing her foot hard into the robot's head, making a dent in its plating. The robot put its arms into the air and surrounded them with electric energy, but it was too late. Rouge had already landed and planted the toe of her boot into the robot's back. Too easy yet again.

Rouge got into the club and found the robot ducking next to the bar. She attacked and the robot jumped, causing Rouge's kick to go astray and hit the bar. Luckily, no damage was caused. The robot then charged up a ball of electricity in its hand and fired it at Rouge, stunning her. When she recovered, she pulled out what looked like a deflated balloon, and then pressed a button on it, inflating it. Now it looked like an over inflated cat's head. She hit it toward the robot and it exploded on contact. The robot was out of it long enough for Rouge to land a kick right at the cover over its Emerald container, and then a yellow jewel fell out.

Rouge picked up the gem and was tempted to keep it, but decided to wait until she could take all of them. So when her radio started beeping, she was not surprised to hear Amy asking for a progress report.

"I've gotten the yellow Emerald and am heading back to the lab now."

* * *

Remember to keep reviewing! And BTW, that's four Emeralds they have: The one Sonic and Tails got, the one Knuckles found, the one Rouge just fought for, and the one Amy received last chapter, minus the one that was stolen from Shadow. 


	8. A Tough Wind Guardian

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 7: A Tough Wind Guardian

Author's Note: Ah, nothing like the closure of insignificant plotholes that will probably get me flamed otherwise... Also, sry for not updating recently. Between two projects for school due on the same day, playing Metroid Prime 2, and a bit of writer's block, I've had a lot on my hands.

Amy was walking around the lab when she noticed a considerable plothole—if the lab was empty when she and Cream walked in, then who was protecting the other Chaos Emeralds? Just then, as if some author had noticed this problem and wanted to fix it, Sonic ran in the front door.

"Hey Amy, what's up? I was guarding the lab, but I got bored and decided to go for a quick run."

"I got a Chaos Emerald! Look!"

"Nice job. Cream was with you, right?"

"Yeah. But since I helped out and got a Chaos Emerald, will you marry me now?"

"What, you think I'm crazy?"

Amy sighed and walked away, then returned, noticing another plothole.

"Hey, where are Tails and Knuckles?"

"They went out to help Espio and Mighty."

Then Rouge walked in the door.

"Hey, Sonic, look what I grabbed."

Rouge showed Sonic the yellow Chaos Emerald.

"Sweet, that's four! Just three more..."

While Sonic was counting up Chaos Emeralds, Espio was searching for the next Chaos Emerald. Tails offered to help, but Espio declined. One, he felt better working alone. Two, having a partner would ruin his invisibility power; either that, or Tails would have to stay behind, which would defeat the purpose of him being there. He was not out for long before encountering some familiar faces.

Vector and Charmy noticed Espio and Vector called out. "Hey Espio, where have you been? Since we helped bring down Eggman, who was really Metal Sonic, and in reality saved Eggman, the phone has been ringing off the hook! We can't keep up!"

"Well Eggman's got a new plan."

"The real Eggman this time?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

"The plan involves using a newly reconfigured, probably more obedient Metal Sonic."

"That sounds bad."

"I know. Can you help?"

"Sorry, we can't. We're actually on a case right now, and there's probably going to be no rest when we get back."

And so the travelers continued on their separate paths. Espio already had a search area picked out: Eggman's abandoned base in Rail Canyon. It would be easy to hide there since it was, after all, abandoned. After crossing the first rail, Espio felt an unusual gust of wind. Looking toward the source, he saw something small, black, and holding a small white jewel in a compartment in its chest. It must be a Sigma robot with the white Chaos Emerald, using it to create wind currents!

Espio did the first thing that he thought of. He threw a shuriken star with deadly precision. A mere gust from the robot, however, threw the blade off course, sending it into a wall and breaking it cleanly in half. No doubt, this fortress was well protected. Espio, who was still fighting on impulse, turned invisible, and approached the robot. As he neared the robot, it sensed him and hit him with a swift punch, throwing him into the well-armored wall.

_Since my invisibility is derived from the wind,_ Espio thought, _the white Chaos Emerald must allow him to see me with its wind powers. That will make this fight more difficult._

Espio approached the robot and chopped at it. It was stunned by the hit, and Espio got a few more in before it came back to consciousness. When back in operation, Sigma used the Chaos Emerald to throw Espio away. Espio jumped over the wind and landed a huge falling kick on the robot's head, which knocked the Chaos Emerald out of the robot. It was still attached by a few wires, but Espio had only to cut these using a shuriken star as a razor blade. Then the robot completely powered down. Espio brought the Emerald back to the lab. On his way back, he saw Mighty, who had also gotten a Chaos Emerald.

* * *

Don't worry, I will go into more detail about Mighty's quest. I was planning on making that the next chapter. 


	9. New Chaotix Recruit

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 8: New Chaotix Recruit

Author's Note: I'm actually writing the beginning of the next chapter before this, because I had a great idea and wanted to put it into writing before I forgot it. So if you're reading this, know that the next chapter isn't far away!

Mighty was walking along, thinking of a place to look for the next Chaos Emerald, when someone red walked up behind him.

"Mighty, I thought I would find you here. Need some help?" Knuckles asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"Where are you looking?"

"I don't know yet. How about we look on Angel Island?"

"I already checked there."

"Well, it's always worth a second look. Besides, if Eggman really does want the Master Emerald, do you think he would only send one robot?"

"Good point."

And so the travelers were off to the floating island. After Knuckles returned the Master Emerald to its resting place, they searched. A thorough search of the island proved useless, until Knuckles thought of something. He led Mighty to an underground passage at the foot of a volcanic mountain.

"Good call Knuckles! I never would have thought of the Lava Reef Zone."

And sure enough, there was a Sigma robot down there with the blue Chaos Emerald. It was using super-cooling, Chaos-enriched jets of water to cool the lava so it could walk over the lava.

Knuckles pulled out his answer to the situation. Out of his hair he pulled out what looked like a pair of Rings, but upon closer inspection was revealed to be two fake Rings connected by an elastic chain.

"You were hiding that in your hair?"

"What, you think I would grow dreadlocks just for fun? They have a purpose!"

Knuckles handed Mighty one of the rings, then, keeping a firm hold on the ring he kept, started to spin.

"Mighty, toss me at the robot."

Mighty tossed Knuckles at the robot, but the robot moved and Knuckles came up just short. The tension of the chain caused Knuckles to fly back past Mighty, out of the mouth of the cave they entered through, and into the atmosphere. Mighty let go of his ring before he was pulled there too.

"Well, I guess I'm on my own."

Knuckles stopped spinning and could now see where he was going. He was over the ocean, so he glided, then dove from the air into the water. He swam the distance from there to the beach on the edge of Emerald Town. He returned to Tails' lab and explained his story.

While Knuckles was returning to the lab, Mighty fought the Sigma robot. He hit it from behind, an unexpected move, then the robot saw and shot Mighty with water. Mighty was caught by surprise and flew into a wall (yeah, characters have been doing a lot of that lately). Mighty bounced off the wall and glided at the Sigma robot, however, he, unlike Knuckles, did not have spiked hands and did no damage to the robot. The robot shot more water, but Mighty was able to dodge it. He then hit the robot in the chest, broke the glass, and took the Chaos Emerald. He then created an upward jet of water with it to move back up to the entrance to the cave.

"Cool! I like this Chaos-Emerald-element thing!"

In his lab, Eggman was studying the situation closely. Now the tables were turned: Sonic and his friends had six Chaos Emeralds, and he had only one, and surely they would be back for it soon. But there was still one last hope for the deranged scientist. A brief flicker of a grin flashed across his face as Eggman realized this plan.

"Why are you smiling?" Decoe inquired.

"I just had an excellent idea."

"What is it?"

"In the depths of Angel Island there is a large Chaos Emerald. It is called the Master Emerald, and not only has the power to stop the Chaos Emeralds, but also has all of their power in it. That is why I sent two of the Sigma robots there."

"But that has been stopped."

"The Sigma robots, yes. But now the plan seems wiser than ever. After all, since both Sigma robots are gone, who would suspect the Master Emerald being stolen now?"

"So you will use it to power your new Metal Sonic?"

"Exactly."

Mighty was returning to the lab with his new acquisition when he came across Espio.

"Hey Espio, what's up?"

"Not much. Can you take this back to the lab for me?"

"No problem. Why?"

"I have to get back to the detective agency. They need my help."

"Think I could join?"

"I don't see why not. Come by after you return the Chaos Emeralds."

Espio gave the white Chaos Emerald to Mighty and walked off somewhere. Mighty returned to the lab.

Knuckles, fur matted down with ocean water, was the first to address the returning traveler.

"Hey Mighty, where have you been, you little psycho?"

"What, you think I did that on purpose?"

Knuckles had already told his story to the others at the lab, so everyone understood.

"Well it was an idiotic move!"

"You suggested it! And besides, how could I have known the robot was about to move? And by the way, I have these."

Mighty pulled out the Chaos Emeralds.

"Sweet. But where did you get two?"

"Espio gave the white one to me. He said he had to get back to the detective agency. I was going to stop by later."

"You can go now."

"What?"

"I don't see why not. If we need you we'll just call."

Mighty left, and the rest of them were left wondering where Metal Sonic—and the last Chaos Emerald—could be.

* * *

Alright, I'm sure that the next chapter, or at least the beginning, will stun you all. 


	10. Return of a Fallen Hero

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 9, part 1: Return of a Fallen Hero

Author's Note: Oooo, a two-part chapter. Anyway, on with the show. Herein lies the conclusion to the fate of Shadow...hope you like it.

Shadow was in a place he knew he recognized—this was one of the many labs in the Space Colony ARK. This was, in fact, the last lab he had seen after his makeshift exodus from it before it was shut down. Only one thing was missing...no, it wasn't. It, or rather, she, was standing before him.

"Maria!" Shadow called out.

She had not heard him. Shadow tried to make a dash for her, but now, seemingly out of nowhere, there was an impenetrable layer of glass in front of him. Before he could react, sirens were blaring and lights flashing everywhere.

"Maria!" Shadow called out again.

Still no response. Wait, there was something there this time!

"Shadow...please, do it for me...Shadow..."

"Do what?"

Then, Maria's face was replaced by another familiar face. It was that of a pink hedgehog—Amy!"

"Please, Shadow, I beg of you, do it for them! Give them a chance!"

Shadow's mind was racing now. Was it Amy there all along? Where was Maria? Was this just a crazy dream?

Amy was gone now, and Maria was back.

"Give them a chance...to be happy..."

"What?"

"Sayonara...Shadow the Hedgehog..."

Just then, Maria collapsed. The colony shutting down took away the supply of breathable oxygen, causing her to faint. But there was something wrong—Shadow's capsule was still on the colony! Then something else happened. Looking out the window, Shadow noticed that the Earth was getting closer. Then an old man appeared on the screen. It was his creator, Gerald Robotnik!

"This is for all you ungrateful humans who took everything away from me!"

Earth drew ever nearer. Shadow's heart was beating fast. Just as the Earth was almost pressed against the window, Shadow thought, _this is the end,_ to himself. Just then, as if something strange had warped Shadow away, everything was gone, replaced by a blue and yellow plane and a large scanner.

Shadow woke up. It did not take him long to place himself in Tails' lab. But he still had many questions. Why was he here? How long was he asleep? He remembered something from before. He remembered Sonic, standing over him. Shadow was apologizing for something. Then, he remembered further back. There was another face in his head: Eggman's face. And there was also a large blue cannon. But it wasn't attached to Eggman, it was attached to something that looked like Sonic, only metal, then a bright green flash, and then darkness. Then Sonic, and then the insane dream...

Someone had noticed the sudden movement of the black hedgehog, and went over to see if he was well. That someone was Sonic.

"Shadow, are you alright?" Sonic asked.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you've been out for about three hours."

"Three hours?" Shadow said. _That's one question answered,_ he thought to himself.

"Yeah. After we came back and found you like you were, we were worried! You shouldn't scare us like that!"

"I'll try not to."

"Very funny. Now before you passed out when we found you, you said something about Eggman's new Metal Sonic. What was it like?"

"It was insanely fast, too fast for me even to use Chaos Control. It had huge lances on its shoulders and when Eggman gave it a Chaos Emerald—"

"That was before it had a Chaos Emerald!"

"Yes. And afterwards, it gained a huge cannon on its arm. If not for that, I may have been stable enough to contact you, but that took me out."

"We have to find it."

"No, I have to find it."

"If you want to help, you can, but..."

"No, I alone must find it. I must take my revenge. Otherwise, it may make the mistake of underestimating me in the future."

"Well at least take a Chaos Emerald with you. Which color?"

"Does it matter?"

"Oh, I forgot, you were still out when Knuckles told us."

"Told you what?"

"Each Chaos Emerald has an elemental alignment. Green is power, purple defense, red fire, yellow electricity, blue water, white air, and sky—I assume that means light blue—is ice. I suggest you take the purple one to counteract Metal Sonic's power. You can use Chaos Control with it, right?"

"Yes, that doesn't matter."

"Alright, if you're sure you're up to it, then go and seek out Metal Sonic. But also take a radio and an Emerald radar so you can find Metal Sonic."

"Alright."

Shadow left the lab and went out to find Metal Sonic 3.0. _Fools. They were patronizing me. They still do not realize my true potential. I can survive a fall from space; surely unconsciousness is nothing to worry about. But still...that new Metal Sonic is powerful. I shouldn't need to worry, though. I have the purple Chaos Emerald, which should allow me to create a shield if Sonic told me correctly. This radar they gave me should help._

Shadow's train of thought was interrupted by his radio.

"Shadow, are you there? This is Tails."

"I'm here. What is it?"

"Are you having a hard time with anything?"

"No. Why would I?"

"Just checking."

After the transmission ended on both ends, Shadow growled to himself. _Can't they leave me alone? I'm fine now that I'm awake._

The radar led Shadow to the ruins of Eggman's Launch Base. It was fine until the Death Egg launched and scorched all the platforms. But buildings had fallen in just the right spots to make passing through easier. Shadow came upon the central underground area. It took no damage from the launch. Not surprisingly, Eggman was inside, facing a computer screen. On the screen was a large projection of Shadow, in exactly the pose he was in at the time. Looking above him, Shadow saw a security camera looking back at him.

"So, Shadow, I see you've come to take your emerald back."

"I have come to take the emerald and my revenge."

"Always the vengeful one, aren't you? Well then, you can try to reach what you seek. I highly doubt, though, that you will get it. Metal Sonic, come here."

"Yes, doctor?"

"You see this hedgehog in front of you? I want you to destroy him. Do not leave any part of him behind. You did last time, and now he's back. This time take—or leave—no prisoners."

"Yes doctor." (Are those the only two words Metal Sonic 3.0 is capable of saying?)

* * *

The fight between Metal Sonic and Shadow is on, for Chaos Emeralds and vengeance. Bet you can't wait for part 2. 


	11. Shadow's Redemption

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 9, part 2: Shadow's Redemption

Author's Note: Here's part 2. I wanted to split it up to make it seem more epic.

Shadow and Metal Sonic faced each other, ready to fight to the finish. Metal Sonic tried to hit Shadow with a spike like last time, but this time Shadow was ready, and by the time Metal Sonic reached Shadow, Shadow had used his Chaos Emerald to create a shield. The spear snapped clean off. Shadow then prepared his first big hit.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

Before Metal Sonic could react, Shadow was behind him.

"CHAOS NIGHTMARE!"

Shadow hovered a few inches off the ground, and his fists began radiating pure Chaos energy. Metal Sonic flew backwards and hit the wall, bounding off of it. Despite this save, Metal Sonic was now at only 75 percent capacity for fighting. Unfortunately for Shadow, still enough to use his Chaos arm cannons. Removing one hand, Metal Sonic fired a green blast. Shadow created a shield, but the attack was so strong that Shadow still took great damage, leaving about half of his vitality.

Shadow had not spent the time before Metal Sonic's attack idly. He had been silently preparing his next hit.

"CHAOS SPEAR!"

Yellow spears of energy surrounded Metal Sonic and closed in, taking a huge chunk of health and leaving Metal Sonic at about 25 percent. But all this time, Metal Sonic had been charging his arm gun.

Not seeing this, Shadow rushed in for the kill—although he didn't know it, his own kill. Metal Sonic shot the fully charged Chaos Buster (just came up with that name). Shadow took heavy damage; not as heavy as it could have been, because of Metal Sonic's lessened battle capacity, but still enough to drive him within an inch of death. This would definitely be tougher than Shadow expected.

Fortunately, Shadow had not revealed all of his skills up until now. He stopped moving and was surrounded with a swirling vortex of what looked like wind. As if by magic, all of his wounds were slowly disappearing.

"Metal Sonic, you fool!" Eggman shouted out, "don't just stand there, stop him! He's vulnerable!"

Metal Sonic dashed and attacked Shadow, stopping his healing. But it was too late, Shadow had already healed up to a level equal to that of Metal Sonic. But Metal Sonic knew he could finish Shadow off with a fully charged Chaos Buster—just as well as Shadow knew he could do the same to Metal Sonic with a Chaos Upper. Shadow dashed toward Metal Sonic as he charged the Chaos Buster, and then they both let their attacks fly with deadly accuracy. The meeting of the power of two opposite Chaos Emeralds caused a bright explosion of energy, leaving at first only dust in its wake. As the dust slowly cleared, an undistinguishable figure that looked similar to Sonic, but with red eyes, stood holding both Chaos Emeralds.

"Good job Metal Sonic, you really knew how to get him. You—"

But Metal Sonic was not the one standing. The dust cleared completely, revealing a badly damaged, but not completely destroyed, Metal Sonic lying on the floor. Since Metal Sonic was not the one standing, that left only…

"Shadow? How did you make it through?"

"I used my shielding powers at the last possible second because I knew Metal Sonic would try a massive buster shot, and at such close range the recoil would be enough to destroy him, even if it reduced me to critical levels. But I suppose I'll be alright now that I have two Emeralds."

"No!"

Eggman lifted the remains of Metal Sonic and flew off in the direction of a large volcano. Behind Shadow's back, Eggman grinned silently and muttered under his breath.

"Thanks Shadow, with a Chaos Emerald in him already, Metal Sonic couldn't withstand the amounts of energy I was planning on adding to him. But with no Chaos Emeralds, he should do fine."

Shadow headed back to Tails' lab with the two Emeralds.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

If you thought I was dead or on a really really really long vacation, you thought wrong. The server wouldn't let me update for about a month.


	12. Emerl Revealed, not quite

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 10: Emerl Revealed

Author's Notes: This is what you've all been waiting for. The reason Shadow risked his life, the reason the Chaos Emeralds became so important, the reason Eggman came up with his next plot. Okay, maybe not why Eggman came up with his next plot. But it was coincidental timing.

Sonic looked out the front door, waiting for Shadow. Naturally, he was surprised when he was tripped from behind.

"Ha! I love that prank!" Shadow admitted. "It's just one of the advantages of Chaos Control."

"You're back!"

"Yes, obviously."

"Do you have—"

"The Emeralds? Yes."

"Sweet! Now we can find out what's up with Emerl."

Tails interjected. "Where is Emerl?"

This was followed by muffled shouts from in the direction of the scanner. In fact, if one listened closely enough, they could almost swear that the shouts said something like, "I'm still in here!"

"Oh yeah, we left him in there."

"Let's fire it up!"

Tails placed the last two Chaos Emeralds. Then the scanner re-activated.

SCANNING…

…

DATA FOUND

IDENTIFICATION: EMERL

ENTER PASSWORD

"I remember this part," Tails said before entering M-A-R-I-A into the keyboard.

ACCEPTED

INTRODUCE SEVEN CHAOS EMERALDS

…

CHAOS EMERALDS PRESENT

READING DATA…

TRANSLATING…

…

FILE FOUND: VIDEO RECORDING

OPEN? Y/N

'Y'

OPENING…

The video began. Everyone was shocked by who appeared on the screen.

Eggman started to talk. "Ha! If you're reading this message, I'm going to assume you're either Sonic or one of his obnoxious companions. If you are, you've been tricked! Now I know where you are so I can alert you to my ultimate plan! Now watch in horror as the second part of this program executes! Hahaha!"

VIDEO COMPLETE

RUNNING SHUTDOWN: EMERL

SHUTDOWN COMPLETE

RUNNING FILE 'SELFDESTRUCT.EGG': EMERL

An explosive noise was heard from inside the machine.

SELFDESTRUCT COMPLETE

SHUTDOWN SCANNER? Y/N

'Y'

SHUTTING DOWN…

The screen went blank. When the group moved the scanner away, all that was left of Emerl was a pile of scrap.

"I guess we'll never find out whether or not this Emerl was real…" Tails concluded.

Sonic had another answer. "I'll bet there is. If we find Eggman, we can force him to tell us!"

The nearby TV screen kicked on. It was Eggman again.

"Well, Sonic, I see that you and your partners have attempted to discover the origins of Emerl, and I see that you've failed miserably. I do have some solace, however, and that is that I will put you all out of your misery shortly. Now witness as I unleash my ultimate creation!"

The image of Eggman was replaced by the Master Emerald.

"What!" Knuckles exclaimed, shocked. "How did they find the Master Emerald?"

Then the Emerald started moving. Metal Sonic 3.0 could now be seen as the Master Emerald entered it. A bright flash filled the screen, and when the light faded, Metal Sonic 3.0 was not there. Or was it? In its place was a slightly larger, gold version of it with huge wings and both arms converted into huge cannons radiating what looked like black light.

"Yes! It worked! Now face my greatest creation, Ultimate Metal Sonic! It will destroy you, and not even Super Sonic can stop it! You all will die! Hahaha!"

The transmission ended.

Sonic started. "If he's right and I can't beat it, even with all seven Emeralds, we're in big trouble."

"Not quite." It was evident that Knuckles had a plan. "Follow me. If we go deep into Angel Island, we might find a solution."

I fully intend to clarify Emerl more, as soon as I think something up...just kidding. But not about the clarifying thing.


	13. The Beginning of the End

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 11, part 1: The Beginning of the End

Author's Notes: And so it begins, the end of what I think is my personal best fan fiction so far. Almost sad, really, but short this end will not be. Note the Part 1. Almost ironic that Chapter 11 is the last chapter of my story, though. It will have a number of parts; what number I have not yet decided. And from here on, there will be many references to Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Nothing quite like mixing the old with the new.

Sonic was slightly opposed to Knuckles' plan. "Why don't you let me try to take Metal Sonic first? I'm sure Eggman was bluffing, anyway."

"Are you sure you know what you're getting into?" Knuckles always noticed Sonic's habit of getting in over his head.

"I'll be fine, trust me."

"Well, then, Eggman is probably still on Angel Island."

"Let's go!"

Going to Angel Island was tougher than Tails expected, because none of the heroes possessed a large-capacity aerial machine. The Tornado had only one seat, and after adding a couple sidecars, still only had three. So Tails flew everyone up two-by-two. Sonic actually rode on the wing, which freed up an extra seat.

Once everyone was on Angel Island, they headed in the direction of the giant volcano. In a short while, Eggman came to them.

"So, Sonic, you think you can take on Ultimate Metal Sonic? Well then, be my guest to try."

Sonic stood still without making a comment. The Chaos Emeralds hovered around him and spun rapidly, emitting a bright light. When Sonic was visible, he was gold and his hair stood almost straight up. He flew into the air, where Metal Sonic was waiting.

Metal Sonic flew straight at Sonic, getting ready to fire a deadly Chaos Buster at Super Sonic. Sonic was able to dodge the shot with his high speed, then attack Metal Sonic with the white Chaos Emerald, throwing him off balance and allowing Sonic to strike with a Chaos-enhanced kick. Metal Sonic was knocked far back, but as it was, it remembered some data that Sonic's attack had reminded it of.

"Chaos Emeraldselement properties

Master Emeraldmultiple element properties

Use Master Emerald to combine elements and use them in a single attack"

Around the black circle on the front of Metal Sonic were seven color-coded lights that indicated Chaos Emeralds. All of them were lit because of the Master Emerald, and now the blue and white ones flashed quickly. Out of Metal Sonic's arm guns came two balls of light, one blue, and one white. They collided and a waterspout came up from the space where they hit. It engulfed Sonic and sent him to the ground. The impact was so hard it created a huge crater, which was filled with the water of the dying waterspout. Sonic couldn't get out, and Metal Sonic fired one more green blast into the pool to finish the job.

About twenty minutes later, Sonic woke up, and to his surprise, he was no longer super.

"What happened?"

Knuckles replied. "Eggman was right. You're still not strong enough to beat Metal Sonic."

"Now what do we do?"

"Remember how I said that there was a solution?"

"I'm listening."

If you haven't played Sonic 3 & Knuckles yet, I suggest you do before you read the next part of Chapter 11.


	14. The Final Solution

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 11, part 2: The Final Solution

Author's Note: Same as Chapter 11 part 1. Huge S3&K reference. I do explain—or, rather, Knuckles explains—but playing the game helps to understand the concept.

Sonic had mostly recovered, and was feeling up to a run, so Knuckles led the whole party into the core of Angel Island, where the shrine was that once held the Master Emerald.

"Sonic, give me the Chaos Emeralds."

Sonic realized what Knuckles was doing. "Don't you need the Master Emerald for that?"

"Normally we would, I've been with the Master Emerald so long that I now contain a small portion of its power. Now I will explain something I showed you before. Remember that line from the ancient writing that read, 'You can be humbled by he who controls the Master'?"

This was met by a collective "Yes."

"As most of you know, the Master Emerald can be used to stop the Chaos Emeralds. But only Sonic, Tails, and I have any hope of remembering that the Master Emerald can also _enhance_ the Chaos Emeralds. That is what the line means: not that the Master Emerald will stop the Chaos Emeralds, but that it will grant their power and more to 'he who controls the Master'."

"So what are you doing exactly?" was Shadow's question.

"There are more powerful Chaos Emeralds, but they are derived from the Chaos Emeralds. In fact, they are the Chaos Emeralds, but when exposed to Master Emerald energy, they transform into Super Emeralds."

"_Super _Emeralds?" was shocked reply from everyone except Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles.

Knuckles set down the seven Chaos Emeralds into seven slots around the Master Emerald's pedestal. The slots seemed far too large. Knuckles then stood where the Master Emerald would be and started chanting ancient spells. The entire chamber was consumed in white light, and when it was gone, the Chaos Emeralds were replaced by seven larger gray Emerald statues.

"Wow. I didn't expect them to be so…bland," was Rouge's reaction.

Knuckles explained, "That's because they're not Super Emeralds—not yet, anyway. They're actually Emerald Statues. Standing on each statue activates the Emerald inside."

Everyone stood on a statue. When they expected to see a bright light below them, they were surrounded by white. They found…

(Cream) "A 3D globe?"

(Shadow) "Blue spheres?"

(Amy) "Level wrap?"

(Rouge) "Music that sounds like it belongs on an early 90's video game console?"

They were also met by the hovering words "Collect Blue Spheres" (what strange worlds these Special Stages be…). Everyone just grabbed every blue sphere in sight, and when they got them all, they were taken back to Hidden Palace. They then saw that the Emerald statue they were standing on was now a fully-activated Super Emerald!

Eventually, everyone came back, and when all of the Super Emeralds were active, Sonic knew exactly what to do.

"Go Sonic!" Knuckles encouraged. "Turn into Hyper Sonic!"

* * *

Next chapter: The finalbattle between Hyper Sonic and Ultimate Metal Sonic! 


	15. The Final Battle

Sonic Battle 2

Chapter 11, part 3: The Final Battle

Author's note: Well, so it comes to an end. I will write an epilogue to wrap everything up (just because I like this story so much), and don't count out the possibility of a sequel (three-quel?).

Sonic now stood where Knuckles once was. He hovered a few feet into the air, and then there was a bright flash (most definitely not the last in this story). When everyone thought they could see Sonic, they didn't. Instead, they saw a glowing creature, flashing multiple colors, with hair that stood straight up. Merely standing around him let you know that this was no ordinary hedgehog. This was Hyper Sonic.

"I'm ready," Sonic said.

"Then go ahead and meet Eggman again. We'll catch up with you. Good luck!" Tails replied.

Sonic set out to fight Eggman, and destroy Metal Sonic for the last time.

Eggman, meanwhile, was quite giddy in his success. He had only just announced his supreme command, but after a show of Metal Sonic's power, everyone was willing to agree to his terms. Everything was going fine until he felt a looming presence behind him. "Sonic," the maniac started, "you're back."

"Not really. Now I'm much stronger. I've come to take back what does not belong to you, and to destroy that which you say is better than me."

"Why so serious all of a sudden?" Then Eggman looked at Sonic and realized that in his current state, victory would almost surely be Sonic's. It made him remember the last time Sonic had used this form. It was one of Eggman's greatest moments gone not-so-great. It happened many years ago…

Eggman was piloting a large blue ship, flying through space. Sonic had just destroyed the Death Egg, Eggman's greatest creation. Eggman thought that going into space and flying maniacally through an asteroid field would shake Sonic, but it didn't. Sonic was too strong, and Eggman had no hope as Sonic pulled up behind him. That's when Eggman remembered the cargo he was carrying: the Master Emerald!

As Sonic drew closer, Eggman saw that Sonic was flashing many different colors because he had used the Super Emeralds to become more powerful. But the Emeralds' energy was Sonic's only weapon, and this could be blocked by the Master Emerald Eggman was carrying. Eggman reclined in his pilot's seat, relieved, and pressed the button to launch the homing missiles. Even if they didn't hurt Sonic, they could help stall until Sonic ran out of power. Sonic repeatedly dashed against the hull of the ship, but it was no use.

The missiles were about to hit Sonic when he dashed to the other side of the ship. This missiles couldn't turn that fast. Eggman tried to defuse them remotely, but it was too late. They hit the side of the ship with a resounding crash and the ship was going down. In a shocking mechanical twist the likes of which only Eggman could dream up, a robot released itself from the ship, holding the Master Emerald, functioning as a sort of escape-pod-from-an-escape-pod. The only problem was that the Master Emerald wasn't connected to any of the internal mechanisms and was currently useless, so therobot was vulnerable. Sonic struck the back of the robot's head, and it was over. Sonic retrieved the Master Emerald, and Eggman was forced back into hiding.

Eggman promised himself that he wouldn't let that happen again. But defeat seemed to be his inevitable fate in this situation. That's when Eggman realized something. _Metal Sonic has the Master Emerald!_ Eggman realized. _He can block some of Sonic's moves!_

Sonic attempted to attack Metal Sonic head-on, but the robot's computer reacted, and within a fraction of a second, the Master Emerald was used to block the attack. Sonic decided to try using elemental attacks, and attempted an ice blast. It hit, and Metal Sonic was frozen. Sonic tried then to use a fire shot to weaken Metal Sonic, but Metal Sonic resisted it, and it only melted the ice. Then all seven lights on Metal Sonic's Emerald panel flashed. Metal Sonic was trying to attack with all of the elements at once!

Back on the ground, Knuckles sensed what was happening. He warned the others about the threat.

"Eggman, what are you trying to do? Not even a robot can withstand all seven elements used at once!"

As Knuckles yelled within earshot of everyone else, sending them into a panic, Tails pulled out a sensor and read it.

"Metal Sonic's energy is off the scale! If he attempts to attack—"

"What?" Shadow asked impatiently.

"If he tries to attack, he'll cause a deadly energy reaction! Nothing will contain the power, and everything around it will…" Tails didn't want to start unnecessary worry, even though the end was unavoidable. Despite his late attempts to mask the truth, everyone knew what would happen. Metal Sonic started to flash a bright light, and this light expanded forth. Knuckles looked on in horror as he saw what represented the ultimate failure of his hereditary duty. Sonic flew towards them, but it was no use. Knuckles just closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst…

One loud explosion sound later, Knuckles opened his eyes. He was surrounded by a bright white light. He was confused. Is this death? Or is it something else? Knuckles looked up and saw Sonic, floating there, arms outstretched. He had tried to protect them, but it was useless. All around him, Knuckles saw everyone else that was with him at the explosion. Tails, Shadow, Amy, Cream, Rouge…they were all there too. Knuckles looked for Sonic, but he wasn't there anymore. Looking back in front of him, Knuckles saw Sonic standing right there in front of him, in his normal from again. Then everyone was surprised to see the white light around them fade. They saw a ruined, but still recognizable, Angel Island before them. They were still alive!

Sonic explained to everyone: "Just before Metal Sonic exploded, I thought of creating a shield, but I figured it wouldn't work. Then I remembered that I had the Super Emeralds, and they could help me! So I blocked for us all! Too bad I ran out of energy, though. I wanted to run through the volcano in my Hyper form, just for fun."

Tails was the first to think about the other side of the story. "But what about Eggman and Metal Sonic? We should find them and see what they're like now!"

After a thorough search, only a few scraps of Metal Sonic could be found. They saw Eggman, and he was dead to all outward appearances, but they all remembered how he had a knack for surviving the impossible, so they deserted him so he could wake up disoriented another day. Everyone set out for home, with a lot of mental weight relieved.

* * *

Now please excuse me while I write an epilogue to close any outstanding plotholes. 


	16. The Final Explanation

Sonic Battle 2

Epilogue: The Final Explanation

Author's Notes: Well, this is the end. I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. Not much more to say. Over and out.

Knuckles returned to his house, still puzzled about Emerl. There had to be more to him than just, "I'm a fake!" When he reached the door, Knuckles found a peculiar package on his doorstep. There was a letter attached. It read:

_I know how mush you wondered about that Emerl robot, so the crew and I did a little detective work and found this. We thought it might clear things up a bit._

_-Espio_

Knuckles opened the heavy package to reveal a stone tablet from some sort of cave showing Emerl, surrounded by strange text. Knuckles could read the ancient language because he had seen it around the Hidden Palace and had long since deciphered it. It read:

_Show it your power or it will not obey. It represents all things and shall become Gizoid, conqueror of all. It will gain the seven stones of power and become immortal.Destroyed as it may be, it will rise again. Its power is as infinite as that of its master._

The "seven stones of power" must be Chaos Emeralds. Emerl had gotten all seven, so according to the passage, Emerl would continuously revive himself. Knuckles felt relieved that he could find Emerl another day. Everyone would be happy to hear that. When Knuckles opened the door into his otherwise dark house, he was met by glowing blue eyes that could only mean one thing.

* * *

END 


End file.
